1 Writing with a quill might sound fun, but it is messy. It takes skill and practice to use a quill. The Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence with a quill and ink. Today most people use ballpoint pens.2 A ballpoint pen has a simple basic design. Its tip is a tiny metal ball in a socket. This ball and socket sit below a reservoir of ink inside the pen. Ink flows to the tip automatically. The first designs leaked a lot. This was their biggest problem. The design improved. The ink improved, too. Today, a special ink is used in ballpoint pens. The ink dries right away when it is exposed to air.